The Shadowlands
by KM2000
Summary: Anna and Jarred march towards the Shadowlands and almost certain death, leaving all they have known behind. A story of love and loss, heartbreak and survival.


A/N: This is the first part of the story of Jarred and Anna's march to the Shadowlands. There will be approximately four to five chapters in total, and I will try to update as much as I can. I would welcome some reviews! :)

Disclaimer: Deltora Quest belongs to Emily Rodda.

The Shadowlands

Part One

As she stumbled over the dirt path leading from the Forests of Silence, Anna felt it. It was something she had not expected to feel, not for the Forests which had haunted her dreams since she was a child. But still, she felt it, a numbness, a hole in her heart which sucked everything in until there was nothing left but emptiness.

For all it was worth, for the past seven years the Forests had been home. The dangerous creatures of the forest floor which she had feared as a child had become a promise of safety, protecting her and her family from the Shadow Lord's fearsome Grey Guards. Anna had given birth to her daughter there, and had lived and loved there. It was home.

And now she was leaving. Leaving behind the Forests, leaving behind the illusion of safety it had held until that fateful day the Grey Guards captured them. Leaving behind Jasmine. Anna could have wept at the thought of Jasmine, alone in the Forests, without friend or family to support her. Even now, she could still see her curled amid the cluster of ferns in First Wood, green eyes filled with terror and confusion, waiting for her parents to return to her. But having her here in chains beside her would have been a worse fate than the one she had given her. In the Forests, Jasmine had a chance to live, albeit a slim one. Here, she would not have lasted a moment.

Anna shuddered at the thought, and felt Jarred's arm brush hers, in a silent attempt to reassure her. Anna did not know how she had been able to find such a good man for a husband. He had given up their place at the forge for his childhood friend, King Endon, and his wife the Queen and their unborn child. He had travelled with Anna along the great road that connected Tora and Del, and when the Torans refused them sanctuary, sought refuge with her in the Forests of Silence. For all the hardships they had faced, he had never faltered, never gave up the hope that Deltora would be free one day. And even now, as they marched towards certain death in the Shadowlands, he did not falter, did not give up. His hope and determination filled her heart.

Alright, she thought. If Jarred will not falter now, then neither will I.

Even so, her thoughts flew to Jasmine alone in the Forests of Silence with little chance of survival, and herself and Jarred marching to their deaths in the Shadowlands, and felt a dark terror stir deep inside of her, and her heart clenched painfully in her chest.

oOo

The Grey Guards had finally allowed their prisoners to rest for the night, after the coming of night revealed a moonless sky. Even so, Jarred found it hard to sleep. He tossed and turned upon the grassless dirt, unable to relax, wondering how Jasmine in the Forests and Endon and Sharn and their child in Del were faring.

'Jarred?' Anna's soft voice roused him from a fitful dose.

He opened his eyes. 'Yes, dear heart?'

'I am afraid,' she whispered.

Her admission tore at his heart. He hated to see her like this, green eyes round with terror, hugging the ground underneath her as if it could protect her from the monsters sleeping ten feet from them. Jarred wanted to protect her badly, but there was nothing he could do if the Grey Guards harmed her. It made him frustrated to feel so helpless.

'Do not be afraid, dear heart,' he whispered anyway. 'I will protect you. I swear on my life.'

She looked up at him and the love and trust in her gaze tore at his insides. 'I know you will, Jarred,' she said. 'That is what frightens me.'

She turned her back to him, closing her eyes. Within moments he could hear her breathing in a deep, steady pattern. Jarred was left, wide awake, on the ground, staring up at the sky and hoping her trust in him was not misplaced.

oOo

A routine established itself across the following days. The Grey Guards marched their prisoners along all day, heedless of exhaustion and thirst and hunger, only allowing them to stop when the darkness obscured the pathway before them. Then they were fed lumps of chewy meat and cold broth that slid down their throats like slime. At dawn they were marching again, bleary eyed with exhaustion, not having slept for more than a few hours at a time. Anna's feet ached; Jarred's wrists chafed in their chains. But there was nothing to be done about it. Any complaints from the prisoners would bring the Grey Guards' wrath upon them, flogging their whips at them, telling them to shut it and move faster. And thusly the days went by.

oOo

Gradually, Anna began to recognise herbs, plants, flowers in the midst of the barren wilderness. Herbs for healing, plants for eating. Herbs to alleviate pain. That night, as the Grey Guards lay snoring under a tree a mere ten feet away, she gathered some and applied them to the wounds she and Jarred had sustained during the day. As Anna and Jarred ate the remaining herbs, she felt a sense of peace she had not felt in days. Finally she was doing what she was born to do.

She handed Jarred some leaves. 'You place these under your tongue to alleviate pain,' she explained in response to his questioning gaze.

Jarred gazed at her, astonished, a slow smile gracing his face. 'You are amazing,' he whispered, awed, expression filled with pride and fear. But mainly pride.

Anna's heart warmed to see it.

oOo

It filled Jarred with pride, to see the determination in Anna's eyes, the stubborn tilt of her chin as she marched beside him. She ignored the Grey Guards, their jeers and taunts and laughter, walking just fast enough to prevent from being whipped, and did nothing to attract their attention. Gone was the fear, the trembling, the anxiety he had seen in her in days past. They had faded like ashes in the wind the night Anna had put to use her skills in healing and herbs to help them survive the hard days of walking. Jarred could not have been more proud of her. Anna had found a purpose, a reason to live, and Jarred was glad of it. He knew he would not survive this dangerous journey without her; she was his heart and soul and the very centre of his life. If she died, he would die with her, leaving behind an empty, lifeless husk of a man. Jarred knew this as well as he knew himself. He glanced at his determined, courageous wife and silently reiterated his vow to her. Anna, dear heart, he thought, I would sooner die before I see you harmed. I _will_ protect you. I will!


End file.
